Dealing with Arthritis

We've all seen the TV ads ─ nice-looking woman in her fifties, sitting on a nice sofa in a nice living room, rubbing her hands, in obvious pain. Of course, she's not Lady Macbeth, trying to rub off the imagined blood of her murdered husband. She's a woman with arthritis.

According to the Center for Disease Control, arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States.1 Approximately 47 million people have doctor-diagnosed arthritis and 17 million have arthritis-attributable activity limitations.

Osteoarthritis, the most common form, is a degenerative condition affecting the joints and the soft tissues around the joints ─ the associated cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. The most commonly affected areas are the spine, the hands, and the shoulders, hips, and knees. The pain of arthritis, the reduced mobility, and the lifestyle accommodations needed for pain avoidance are discouraging and may even lead to depression.

Many anti-inflammatory drugs are available for the treatment of arthritis, and in recent years many of these have been found to cause severe side effects. Vioxx is the most notorious of these ─ cardiovascular complications caused a worldwide recall of the drug. Celebrex, another well-known arthritis medication, was also found to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke at high doses.

The very good news is there are several wellness-based treatment alternatives to long-term medication. These include exercise, diet, and in many cases, chiropractic treatment.

Exercise is critical in restoring mobility and, over time, in reducing pain.2,3 Persons with osteoarthritis often experience a vicious cycle of deteriorating symptoms. Pain causes reduced mobility (pain avoidance), which (paradoxically) actually causes more pain, which causes further reductions of mobility . . . . Activities of daily living ─ getting out of a chair, opening a jar, bending and lifting ─ become a real challenge as the person struggles to avoid further pain.

So, restoring mobility is key. Exercise ─ very gently at first ─ is the answer. Range-of-motion activities to get the joints moving again are very beneficial, including
• Arm circles
• Wrist circles
• Shoulder shrugs
• Side-to-side bending for the lower back
• Gentle knee bends
• Ankle circles
• Flexing and pointing the feet

Walking is a perfect exercise for treatment of arthritis. Begin by walking one block, then two, then around the block. Walk five minutes daily for a week, then increase by a minute or two each day. Get up to 15 minutes of gentle walking, then begin to gradually increase your pace. The increased mobility will not only reduce pain, but also provide a cardiovascular benefit and improve one's ability to perform activities of daily living.

Chiropractic treatment, in combination with an exercise program, may assist in restoring joint mobility and reducing pain. Gentle chiropractic manipulative therapy is designed to improve mobility of spinal joints. As spinal joint motion improves, pain lessens, and a positive cycle of return-to-function begins.

1"Prevalence of Doctor-Diagnosed Arthritis and Arthritis-Attributable Activity Limitation." CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 55(40);1089-1092, 2006.
2Huang MH, et al: A comparison of various therapeutic exercises on the functional status of patients with knee osteoarthritis. Semin Arthritis Rheum 32(6):398-406, 2003.
3Suomi R, Collier, D: Effects of arthritis exercise programs on functional fitness and perceived activities of daily living measures in older adults with arthritis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 84(11):1589-94, 2003.

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Testimonials

Reviews By Our Satisfied Patients

  • "Life would not be the same without Dr. Jayne! In addition to being the loveliest and most caring person, she's an extraordinary chiropractor. She truly has healing hands, an incredible knowledge of the body (MY body!), an uncanny gift for knowing exactly what the issue is right away, and then correcting it effectively. I always know I can rely on her to correct my neck and back issues when they arise, sometimes just after one visit. And Dr. Lou and Jayne's staff are wonderful - kind and patient, and always extremely helpful. I wouldn't go anywhere else."
    Beth B
  • "Dr Jayne and Dr Lou are both amazing! They offer not just great care, but a warm, welcoming atmosphere— truly family friendly! They go above and beyond and truly care about the whole patient, well beyond chiropractic care. Dr Jayne has offered amazing support and solace through my journey as a new mom and I will always be grateful!"
    Katherine G.
  • "Absolutely amazing ! First, the staff was very friendly. I am 8 months pregnant and I've had a lot of back/shoulder pain, and the doctor Jayne was very friendly and professional. You can tell she know what she's doing. She did an amazing job, when I got up from the chair I felt like I was 10 years old again ! My pain was completely gone. I am so happy I have found that place !"
    Manon J S.
  • "I've seen a whole bunch of chiropractors and Lou and Jayne are the best, by far. They're also two of the sweetest people I know."
    Scott C.
  • "I have no words to express my gratitude for Dr. Jayne. I was looking for a Webster Technique chiropractor during my pregnancy and I am so happy I found her. Thanks to her treatments we were able to turn the baby in optimal position and avoid any kind of medical interventions during delivery. But most of all, I valued her precious advice and physical and emotional support during before and after my baby was born. The most beautiful moment of all was giving my son his very first adjustment when he was only couple of days old. I definitely recommend her and her team!"
    Marija R.
  • "Dr Lou and Dr Jayne are fantastic. They've put my spine back in line and are always the nicest people to work with."
    Gerry G
  • "Friendly and welcoming. I enjoy my visits here as they are short and sweet, and really contribute overall health. Twice a week was all I needed and it has changed my world."
    Carlos C
  • "Dr. Lou has taken care of me for close to 20 years. ALWAYS spot on and just an amazing staff. Thank you for all you do."
    Marc W
  • "For two days I have been dealing with that ache in my bicep and having to stretch my hand and it constantly cracking...within minutes of leaving your office from my adjustment my ache is gone and no need to stretch the hand and when I did no cracking. Magic Hands I tell ya!!"
    Janice Bowman
  • "I highly recommend Family Chiropractors for all you health needs ..... From a tune up to a serious issue they will bring you back to the road of recovery ..... They are knowledgable and listen to your needs and concerns ..... I have gone to Dr Lou for over 10 years and I will tell you as a runnner and a yogi you can not find someone better or more caring ... Give them a try ... I believe you will be glad you did and so will your body."
    Thomas Randazzo
  • "It's miraculous how they make me feel better so quickly!"
    Richard Reiter
  • "Drs. Lou and Jayne are the best. Wonderful with even the very youngest children and babies, all the way to folks in later life. Friendly, personable, and strong at what they do -- each with his or her own style. Great to have appointments with both of them! They also have things like a water massage table, which is a wonderfully relaxing mini-escape, and laser treatments for things like carpal tunnel. They are also a gay-friendly business, which encourages me to refer more folks to them."
    Elizabeth Schroeder
  • "Love that place"
    Joe V